Means for tightening the cords upon drums.



C. S. GURNEY.

MEANS FOR TIGHTENING THE CORDS UPON DRUMS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 24. 1914.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

comma FLANOORAFH co" WASHINGTON, D. c.

CHESTER S. GURNEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MEANS FOR TIGHTENING THE CORDS UPON DRUMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

. Application filed December 24, 1914. Serial No. 878,922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHESTER S. GURNEY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Means for Tightening the Cords upon Drums, of which the following is a description.

My invention belongs to that general class of devices employed upon the cord connecting the two heads of a snare drum, for illustration, and which devices as they are pressed downward draw the approximate parts of the cord together, and thereby serve to tighten the heads of the drum.

It consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a partial edge or side elevation of a drum equipped with my improvement, showing in dotted lines the relative position of the parts as the device is moved upward to relieve the strain; Fig. 9 is an enlarged view, showing the cord in dotted lines, and more clearly illustrating the relative positions of the various parts; Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3, 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line 4, at of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the device separated from the cooperating parts.

As illustrated, the device is composed of a single piece of metal, such as wire, of suitable size and quality, bent into the form shown. securing a spring action, tending to normally separate the arms, which results in a suitable grip on the cord when engaged therein.

1 represents one arm of the wire, which is preferably bent in a coil, as at 2. The arm is bent inward to form a hook, as at 3, and outward again in line with part 1, as at, 4. The extreme end of this arm of the wire is bent into a loop, as at 5, substantially in register with the loop at 3. The other arm of the wire, as at 6, .is bent upward, preferably terminating at a point about midway between the parts 3 and 5, and thence bent inward toward the opposite side, as at 7, with a backward hook, as at 8, opposing the hooks or loops 3 and 5.

The device is easily detachable from the drum cord, without in any way interfering with or disconnecting the lacing thereof with the hoops, and is as easily placed in position on the cord. As shown in Fig. 1, the extending loop 2 is positioned outside the cord, that is, the cord intervenes between the part and the body of the drum. The cord, as at 9, is engaged by the hooks 3, and 5, while the opposing hook 8 engages the opposing cord 10, as shown, the resiliency of the two arms of the device tending to draw the cords 9 and 10 toward each other, as indicated. hen the device is moved upward to its upward limit, substantially as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the cords spring apart, as indicated, also in dotted lines, relieving the strain. \Vhen it is desired to tighten the heads of the drum, the operators thumb engages the loop 2 and forces it downward in the usual manner, passing from one to the other about the drum, also in the usual manner. This serves to strain the cord and tighten the heads of the drum, as shown. hen it is desired to loosen the strain on the drum, the operators hand may engage the sides 1 and 6, and springing them slightly toward each other, the cords will be released and the device readily slip upward without any trouble.

Actual experience shows that in using this device, the difliculty so commonly found in devices of this character is obviated, to-wit, that when the drum is well tightened, the strain upon the cords tends to gradually slip the tighteners upward until the, drum heads become loosened. Obviously, the side 6 may be formed substantially as is the side 1, that is, with the additional hook similar to 3. In practice, however, I have not found this necessary, and have found that the device, as described, answers every purpose desired in a device of this character.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is:

1. Means for tightening the cords on drums, comprising a single piece of U- shaped resilient wire, the two ends formed with hooks adapted to detachably engage the proximate cords of the drum from opposite directions, whereby as the device is moved upon the cords it tends to draw the diverging contiguous cords together and draw the drum heads toward each other, or by reverse movement to relieve the strain upon the heads substantially as described.

A device of the kind described, comprising a member of resilient material bent upon itself, the ends forming free arms, said free arms normally held apart by the spring metal, one of said arms provided with a plurality of transverse hooks, and

the other with a hook, cooperating therewith, whereby said hooks may detachably engage the proximate cords of a drum in the manner and for the purpose described,

7 or be detached therefrom.

3. A device of the kind described comprismg a single piece of spring wire bent to form a loop 2, one extendmg arm formed with the hooks 3 and 5 and the other arm with the hook 8, substantially as described, whereby the same may be attached to or detached from the proximate cords of a drum without disengaging the cord from the hoops.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHESTER S. GURNEY.

Witnesses:

J OHN \V. HILL, CHARLES 1. Cone.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents Washington,- D. C. 

